Under pressure from Ducati: Supersport bikes to have 10 per cent less power from 2027

When the next-generation regulations were introduced in the Supersport World Championship in 2022 – which now permit twin-cylinder machines with engine capacities of 600 to 990 cc, three-cylinder engines ranging from 500 to 900 cc and four-cylinder engines ranging from 400 to 800 cc. The Yamaha R6, with its 600 cc four-cylinder engine – which had long set the standard – served as the basis for classification.

Because the homologated production motorbikes vary greatly in terms of displacement and power, they are balanced against one another via the maximum rev limit, the prescribed minimum weight and the permitted throttle opening. As a result, some manufacturers have had to develop special racing kits to reach the target of 145 PS. A counter-example is Ducati, whose production bike has so much power that the race bike’s engine has to be restricted.

New Ducati with significantly less power

Whilst Ducati will still be fielding the Panigale V2 with a 955 cc engine and 155 PS in production trim in the 2026 Supersport World Championship, the new model with an 890 cc engine and just 120 PS is already on display in dealership showrooms. Its engine is 17 kg lighter and does not require Desmo valve control; in terms of lap times, the new machine will be barely any slower than the current one. To avoid having to develop a race kit, Ducati lobbied the promoter Liberty, the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM) and its competitors to have the rated power for 2027 reduced from the current figure of around 145 to 130 PS. This suits other manufacturers, as it means they too can save on development costs – for example, Triumph with its new Street Triple RS, which will feature an 800cc engine instead of the previous 765cc.

Although no official technical regulations have yet been published for 2027, manufacturers have long been working behind the scenes to adapt to the new conditions – SPEEDWEEK.com reported in detail on Philipp Öttl’s Ducati tests.

KTM is working alongside the German Freudenberg team to make the new 990 RC R race-ready. Its 947 cc twin-cylinder engine produces 128 PS in production form; efforts to date have been focused on increasing this to 145 PS. The new regulations mean the approach is changing and all the engine mappings will have to be rewritten. Whether we will see the Austrian manufacturer competing in the Supersport World Championship with factory support from 2027 onwards depends on the budget and is likely to be decided by the end of September.